A HISTORY OF ESSEX NOCTUID^: Agrotis vestigialis (valligera, Hb.) is found on the coast sands, but not commonly. A.puta and A. suffusa sometimes occur freely at ' sugar.' A. saucia is usually scarce but occasionally somewhat common. A. segetum and A. exclamationis are too abundant in fields and gardens, where they are among our most destructive insects. A. corticea is often found at lime blossom at Colchester and Maldon, and Mr. Burrows has taken it freely at Mucking. A. ripcz occurs at Harwich, Walton, Clacton and St. Osyth, where A. cursoria is also to be met with occasionally. A. nigricans is more of a field and garden insect, and is frequently found on flowers at dusk. A . tritici is somewhat common on the coast sands. A. aquilina, which is held by many authors to be a form of tritici, is found sparingly at Colchester at 'sugar' and lime blossom. A. strigula (porphyrea, Hb.) was formerly common at Dedham, and is found at Brentwood, Epping, and probably in most places where any extent of heather still exists. A. prcecox has once been found at rest on a house at Colchester, and once in the larva state near Clacton-on-Sea. A. obscura (ravida, Hb.) occurs sparingly at Colchester, Maldon, Brent- wood, Stanford-le-Hope and Southend. It has been reported ' abundant in Essex,' but such is not the experience of resident entomologists. Noctua glareosa is far from common, but has been found at Epping and Brent- wood. Professor Meldola has met with it at Woodford, and it is occa- sionally taken at Colchester. N. augur, N. plecta and N. c-nigrum are generally distributed. N. ditrapezium is very local and is only recorded from Brentwood, where Mr. Raynor formerly obtained it occasionally. N. triangulum is common and of general occurrence. N. stigmatica (rhomboidea, Tr.) has a wide distribution but is decidedly scarce. N. brunnea and N.jestrva are common in woods. N. dahlil has been recorded as occurring in the county by Mr. J. W. Tutt. N. rubi comes freely to 'sugar.' N. umbrosa and N. baja are widely distributed but not very common. N. castanea (neglecta, Hb.) has been taken at Wanstead by Mr. Machin. N. xanthographa is extremely abundant everywhere. Triphcena ianthina is moderately common and generally distributed. T. fimbria is found rather freely in the larva state in most woods in the spring, and the perfect insect comes to ' sugar ' later in the year. f. interjecta is widely distributed, and may sometimes be seen flying wildly about hedges after 4 p.m., but has been scarcer of late, and is now more poorly represented in collections than the other species. T. comes (orbona, Fb.) and T. pronuba are common everywhere. AMPHIPYRID^E Amphipyra pyramided, A. tragopogonis, Mania typica and M. maura are all so generally common that it is unnecessary to give localities for them. OR.THOSIID.fl; Panolis piniperda is somewhat scarce, but occurs at Birch, Colchester and Brentwood, and is probably well distributed among Scotch fir. 152
